In this piece, we will look at the stocks Jim Cramer recently discussed.

In a recent appearance on CNBC’s Squawk on the Street, Jim Cramer discussed what bank industry executives were saying about President Trump removing Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell. He shared that the executives were getting bolder in sharing that an independent Fed was important for the US:

“Yeah when I asked them off and on, I said will you come on, they’re happy to talk about it. They’re not fearful of Trump for that. They feel the retribution is unimportant versus an independent Fed. When I listened to Kevin Warsh this morning on Squawk I didn’t hear a lot about independence. I heard a lot about, cooperation. And, uh, he had a ahistorical vision of things. And when I say ahistorical, I know exactly that that is fire. I don’t care. I think that the notion of Fed that is subservient to the President was, was, the undercurrent of what I heard from Mr. Warsh. I don’t know the man, I think he’s out there calling for this new regime. And I don’t like new regime cause we have a current regime. It’s called the United States. Worked pretty good. I dated it to 1770s. I carbon dated it.”

Our Methodology

To make our list of the stocks that Jim Cramer talked about, we listed down the stocks he mentioned during CNBC’s Squawk on the Street aired on July 17th.

For these stocks, we also mentioned the number of hedge fund investors. Why are we interested in the stocks that hedge funds pile into? The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletter’s strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 373.4% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 218 percentage points (see more details here).

8. Novartis AG (NYSE:NVS)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders In Q1 2025: 33

Novartis AG (NYSE:NVS) is a Swiss pharmaceutical company that is one of the largest of its kind. Its shares have gained 17% year-to-date, but the shares lost 2.5% in July after the firm’s fiscal first quarter earnings report. The results saw Novartis AG (NYSE:NVS) post $14.05 billion in revenue, which fell short of analyst estimates of $14.18 billion. However, the firm’s operating profit sat at $5.93 billion which was higher than the $5.69 billion that analysts had penciled in. For his part, Cramer had a shocking question on his mind as he wondered whether Novartis AG (NYSE:NVS) CEO Dr. Vasant Narasimhan was leaving the company:

“[On NVS raising the guide and getting a buyback]”They did have one failure of a drug, that was very, very important but I saw that Vass, Vass is going? He’s a terrific CEO.”

Loomis Sayles Global Growth Fund mentioned Novartis AG (NYSE:NVS) in its Q1 2025 investor letter. Here is what the firm said:

“Novartis AG (NYSE:NVS) is a diversified global healthcare company with market leadership in branded pharmaceuticals across a broad range of treatment areas, including oncology (30% of revenues), immunology (almost 20% of revenues), cardiovascular, renal, and metabolic (almost 20%), and neurology (10%). The company also derives over 20% of revenues from mature branded products in non-core therapy areas. With the October 2023 spinoff of the company’s Sandoz generics and biosimilars division, which followed the 2019 spinoff of ophthalmologic equipment maker Alcon and 2018 divestiture of a consumer health joint venture, the company is now purely focused on innovative medicines, which accounted for about 80% of revenue and 85% of core operating income prior to the Sandoz spinoff. The company generates over 50% of revenue from the Americas, approximately 30% from Europe, and almost 20% from the rest of the world.”

7. Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (NYSE:BMY)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders In Q1 2025: 69

Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (NYSE:BMY) is one of the largest and most well-known American pharmaceutical companies. It has long been one of Cramer’s favorite stocks as the CNBC TV host has been nothing but full of optimism about its COBENFY schizophrenia drug. However, during this show, he changed his tone and pinned all hopes on COBENFY’s success:

“[Report about the two selling Eliquis at a discount] Yeah, I mean, mistakes I’ve made a few but, today I’m looking at Bristol, Bristol better come through with this. With this mental health, with this mental health drug that they bought, the schizophrenic drug. . . .I mean Bristol is uh, Bristol’s bad. And I own it. I own it because of this schizophrenia drug. And I said yesterday to the club, they get this schizophrenia drug, I’m going with it. They don’t get this schizophrenia drug, I’ve never heard of it. That’s where I am. Never heard of Bristol-Myers.”

Previously, Cramer discussed Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (NYSE:BMY)’s “faint pulse”:

“Of course, some of the rally’s nothing more than the left-behind stocks playing catch up. The drug stocks had a rare day in the sun. I wish I had something good to say about them. Maybe it’s enough to say that Bristol Myers has a faint pulse, one that lasted until the end of the session.”

6. Starbucks Corporation (NASDAQ:SBUX)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders In Q1 2025: 70

Starbucks Corporation (NASDAQ:SBUX) is a stock that Jim Cramer frequently discusses on his morning show. The CNBC TV host is an avid fan of the firm’s CEO and has criticized the firm’s detractors. He commented on Jefferies cutting Starbucks Corporation (NASDAQ:SBUX)’s share price target and continued to remain optimistic about CEO Brian Niccol:

“[Jefferies cuts SBUX, says consumer credit card data shows weakness]” Oh they have that, yeah, I mean if Brian, do they not know, I mean they want you to, but they have a 76 dollar price target for Starbucks. Okay. Here’s what I think that they’re doing wrong. If that stock ever got to 76, it would be a wonderful thing. This is Brian Niccol. The turn is happening, how many times does he have to say it’s not happening today? So yes, maybe the buyers are ahead. But buyers want to be there before the turn. And when the turn happens, you’re not paying 76. I mean yesterday you could have bought PepsiCo, thinking that, everyone thinks that there’s no turn, and there was a turn. What do you do with Starbucks? Well I mean I think you can just say it’s high, it’s 80s to 90s, 80s to 90s, and then one day, it’s up a 120. So do you want to be 80s to 90s or do you really want to play it to 76?”

This show wasn’t by far the first time Cramer had praised Niccol:

“This morning, Starbucks came up as part of the conversation on Squawk on the Street as a source of coffee beans from Brazil, and what’s going to happen now that President Trump just hit Brazil with a 50% tariff. Ah, just one more reason to [sell, sell, sell] Starbucks, right? Wrong. The actual price of coffee beans represents less than 10% of the cost of a cup of coffee. Sure, Brazil’s important, but Starbucks, with its incredible scale, is better suited than anyone else to be able to deal with and find cheaper source of beans.

More important, Starbucks is another stock that people want to buy when it’s hot and stay away from when it’s cold, even if it’s being run by a proven commodity who knows how to execute a turnaround. I remember the turn that CEO Brian Niccol engineered at Chipotle before he went to Starbucks after some nasty foodborne illnesses sent the stock in a tailspin.

Niccol came in at the beginning of 2018 when Chipotle stock was at around $6, alright, keep that in your mind. He left for Starbucks a little less than a year ago when Chipotle was at $56. Are we really supposed to believe that the price of Brazilian coffee beans is going to reverse that turnaround that he’s organizing? I think that’s insane. Stock’s down more than 20 points from its high, even if it’s quickly rebounded from today’s low. This is the right time to buy Starbucks. Goes down a little more, you get to buy more.”

5. Shake Shack Inc. (NYSE:SHAK)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders In Q1 2025: 39

Shake Shack Inc. (NYSE:SHAK) is an American fast food chain. Its shares have gained a modest 1.3% year-to-date as worries about consumer spending have made investors hesitant to pile into the stock. In his previous comments about Shake Shack Inc. (NYSE:SHAK), Cramer was exasperated with the negativity surrounding the firm. This time, he praised the firm’s CEO and continued to oppose the detractors:

“[On whether he though SHAK’s expensive]Nooo, you know that’s, no one. I mean I read these things and I just say, okay look, look whoever it is don’t they know that this is Rob Lynch. Now, Rob Lynch who saved PapaJohn’s, has he spent any time with Rob? I mean Rob Lynch has turned this Shake Shack around. He has huge ambitions. It’s only a 5.8 billion dollar company. And everyone knew it was undermanaged. I think he’s crushing it. So is it overvalued? Against what? This guy’s doing a remarkable job. Pay attention to the CEO. Look at the CEO. This is not some guy who just walked in and said you know what, how do I make a milkshake? You have Lynch, one of the greatest managers in restaurants.”

Previously, Cramer remarked on Shake Shack Inc. (NYSE:SHAK)’s share price performance:

“But I will say this. We have a new theme going on here. And the theme is, if we thought it was going to be bad, and it’s bad, we buy. Shake-Shack, down six. Well we knew it was gonna be bad. Will you give me a break? Now it’s up.”

4. Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders In Q1 2025: 62

Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT) is a well-known construction and agricultural machinery company. Cramer has started to regularly discuss the firm after President Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill cleared the House and Senate and was signed into law. The CNBC TV host believes that Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT) will enjoy significant tailwinds not only from the legislation but also from data center construction in America. During this appearance, he maintained his viewpoint about the legislation’s impact on Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT)’s business:

“And don’t forget, the Big Beautiful Bill is a bill that is made for things like Caterpillar.”

In an earlier appearance, Cramer discussed Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT)’s management and potential entry points to buy the stock:

“I think, you know what, I gotta tell you something… I mean, the primarily not housing, but you’re absolutely right. You have to have housing. Vulcan Materials is actually more of a play, as is Martin Marietta Materials. However, Caterpillar is an ancillary to that. Caterpillar’s done incredibly well this year. I will miss Jim Umpleby, who’s stepped up to chairman, but I think he left Caterpillar in the best hands I’ve ever seen the stock in. It’s a buy, and I think you will do quite well. Now, at this point, I would wait till after the quarter, which is August 5th. You don’t need to get ahead of it.”

3. Oracle Corporation (NYSE:ORCL)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders In Q1 2025: 97

Oracle Corporation (NYSE:ORCL) is one of the biggest enterprise computing software providers in the world. The AI gold rush has seen the firm position itself as a cloud computing infrastructure provider as well. The AI focus has led Oracle Corporation (NYSE:ORCL)’s shares to gain 48% year-to-date, with a notable jump coming in June when the stock gained 22% after the firm’s fiscal fourth quarter earnings report. Cramer commented on Oracle Corporation (NYSE:ORCL)’s share price performance:

“Oracle gets walked up, it’s almost Palantir like. But they have, they’re building a huge number of data centers and everybody needs data centers. You know, Oracle’s like a, it’s become like digital equipment was in the 90s.”

Cramer discussed Oracle Corporation (NYSE:ORCL) potentially offering government services at a discount:

“I was thrilled to see that. Wow. I mean, how great to offer that. I think that was, I was shocked at that. Look when they from 105 to 110, when they went to this level, to say that they’re anything other than unbelievable, Larry Ellison, Safra Catz, they’re just extraordinary. They’ve created a huge amount of wealth for people. Huge. Yeah I mean Safra, I had Safra on and she was talking a really big game and I said come on Safra, don’t say that unless you mean it. And she meant it. And good for her.”

2. Barrick Mining Corporation (NYSE:B)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders In Q1 2025: 46

Barrick Mining Corporation (NYSE:B) is a Canadian mining company that primarily extracts and sells gold and copper. The firm’s shares have gained 34% year-to-date since US fiscal uncertainty has boosted the gold price, while positive analyst coverage has injected optimism into the firm’s prospects. One such analyst report came from CIBC in June when it raised the share price target to $24 from $22. Cramer discussed the need to analyze Barrick Mining Corporation (NYSE:B) with respect to copper prices:

“Barrick I want to just, I got to find out about copper, whether we can get enough at what point do you try to switch and make it so you can get even more copper. Focus on copper and gold. Dr. Bristol will probably tell me that, he won’t tell me I don’t know what I’m doing cause he did that about 15 years ago. But, I do know that he has a good idea about what to break. . .”

Previously, he commented on Barrick Mining Corporation (NYSE:B)’s relationship with gold prices:

“A gold company is, I mean, I hate to just say this because it really doesn’t take a weatherman to know which way the wind blows, does it? But gold, I think, is going higher still. And Barrick Gold has a lot more room to run. I think it’s doing better. Like, you know, I wish they weren’t so far flung. Agnico’s doing better than they are, but I think GOLD is a good place to be.”

1. Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CSCO)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders In Q1 2025: 82

Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CSCO) is a networking equipment provider whose shares have gained 15% year-to-date. The shares have benefited from strong earnings performance, such as the firm’s report in May that saw it raise revenue and EPS estimates and beat analyst revenue guidance. In his previous remarks about Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CSCO), Cramer has commented on how the firm is positioning itself to be the backbone of AI. His latest remarks, made during the Morning Take for his club meeting, followed a similar theme but built on it as well:

“[During Morning Take for the Club meeting] Look at Oracle, they’re gonna be in all the Oracle, all the data centers. And he’s Jensen’s partner, and the stock did not move that much when they announced that. They have a guy who is great cybersecurity who’s moving on up. And they are going to be the way you connect all these data centers to the rest of your systems.

“People just think that it’s the same old Cisco. Like they didn’t buy Splunk. Splunk gave them visibility, it gave them some really, really good cyber defense works. But it gave them contacts. And Splunk was everywhere. And I don’t think people realize how embedded Splunk was. Now you’ve got a company that could have an Oracle-like revaluation. And the Oracle-like revaluation is stunning.”

Previously, Cramer discussed how Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CSCO) could be AI’s backbone:

“Last night I spoke with Chuck Robbins. He is positioning himself as being now the backbone of the internet with AI. It reminded me very much about John Chambers being the backbone of the internet. He began to get Cisco having its big move. But you also know David, remember the customers. The customers of Cisco, the telcos, its got a little telco feel to it. I think.

“Now I’m putting it as the cheapest AI story there is. It’s a combination of Splunk and the traditional Cisco.

“See what’s interesting Carl, in the old days there would be 15 companies that followed Cisco and they all raised numbers on this. Now it’s not like that because Cisco’s large cap. And people want to know, should I take a shot at GitLab, down here. Is it time to by DataDog? This may be the moment for Oklo. David, I don’t know.”

While we acknowledge the potential of CSCO to grow, our conviction lies in the belief that some AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and have limited downside risk. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than CSCO and that has 100x upside potential, check out our report about this cheapest AI stock.

READ NEXT: 20 Best AI Stocks To Buy Now and 30 Best Stocks to Buy Now According to Billionaires.

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